Perhaps the best ways to discover useful apps is to look at what people are actually updating, and not focus on which apps have the most installs. This is a good indicator of those apps having active support from their developers..

The following is the Pure MobileTop 10 list of apps which were updated in the last seven days and received the most updates during that time period on AppAware.

Twitter – Version 3.1.0

What’s new in this version:

Swipe shortcut

Improved scrolling and network performance

Improved support for devices running Ice Cream Sandwich

Confirmation dialog for Find Friends

Security improvements

New languages: Filipino, Simplified Chinese

Many other bug fixes, improvements, and polish

This week Twitter rolled out a minor update focused on performance enhancements. Some power users prefer more control over their Twitter experience and go with apps like Tweakdeck, but if you just want pure Twitter then the official app is the way to go. The improved scrolling makes this version a must update.

Evernote – Version 3.5.3

What’s new in this version:

Note: calendar access is used to add context in empty titles.

fixes note processing issue when saving notes

fixes a crash when installing the update

improves setting interface

several other fixes and improvements

There are a lot of note taking apps out there, but Evernote is the most popular by far. It currently has 10 million installs and maintains an average rating of 4.6.

Most other 2.3 devices have unofficial support. Please see the FAQ in the App description to learn how to enable it.

Android Beam support. Requires the NFC permission.

Media is now saved in a separate folder.

Finally a paid app makes the Top 10 list. Paper Camera retails for $1.99, but it’s well worth the price if you love taking photos with your phone. This app allows real time cartoon and painting effects displayed on your camera feed and adds many other effects to your photos.

Wiki Encyclopedia – Version 2.19

What’s new in this version:

**NEW PERMISSIONS*** New permissions are requested in the latest update in order to enable new features:

I have personally used this app countless time... it has over 5 million installs with an average rating of 4.4. Wiki Encyclopedia offers fast access to Wikipedia for your Android phone and also supports dozens of newspaper feeds. The latest update adds a widget and the ability to upgrade to the Pro version for free.

Viber – Version 2.1.4.588

What’s new in this version:

Bug Fixes

All new Voice engine!

Viber is now location-aware! Share your current location with your contacts so that they will know from where your message was sent.

Send and receive Photos.

New “is typing” indicator will notify you when he or she is typing a new message.

Landscape support for Messages.

While I personally have never used this app, Viber allows you to call and text other Viber users, on any network, as much as you want. The app is available on Andorid and iPhone, which explains why they have over 40 million users. The latest update has a new voice engine that promises “HD sound quality.”

Fix bugs of Pattern Lock may frozen after trying wrong input for 5 times

Fix some other minor bugs

It is one of the most full featured SMS apps and it’s great for Android phones that have crappy custom UIs that replace the default message app. The latest update is mostly bug fixes and optimizations, but give it a try if you are tired of your boring old SMS app.

Movies by Flixster – Version varies with device

What’s new in this version:

New “My Movies” tab to see your movie reviews, collections, and friends’ movies

Merged Box Office and Upcoming into a single tab

Fixed Facebook logout crash on ICS

Numerous other bug fixes and improvements

Flixster is one of the most popular movies apps. The latest version includes a new “My Movies” feature that might be worth checking out if you like to log all the movies you watch.

Dropbox – Version varies with device

What’s new in this version:

Allows you to automatically uploads photos and videos in the background using Wi-Fi or data plan

Heads up, Dropbox can no longer be installed on your SD Card due to more secure credential storage

Dropbox is currently being used at Pure Mobile. Their latest app adds support for automatic uploads of your photos, a feature that’s been available on Google+ for awhile now. They are also offering up to 3 GB of free cloud storage, but then again Box is offering 50 GB for free.

Astrid – Version varies with device

What’s new in this version:

Entirely new design and themes

Subtasks!

Ability to outsource tasks with TaskRabbit

More reliable sync with Google Tasks

Tablet version!

Fixes for a few bugs experienced in 4.0.0 launch

New permission GPS Only used when you specify location for tasks through TaskRabbit

Astrid has been available on Android for a long time and they continue to release new updates that add a ton of features. If you are looking for a personal assistant to help you manage your tasks and to-do lists, then give Astrid a try. The latest version 4.0 adds a completely new look and adds support for tablets. It also supports sync with Google Tasks, which is a popular feature among to-do apps.